Flare



Nov. 18, 1930.

1.. L. DRIGGS, JR., ET AL FLARE Filed Nov. 12, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l 3nventors Nov. 18, 1930. L. DRIGGS, JR., ET AL 1,782,292

FLARE Filed Nov. 12, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 a. w 3nventOt-9 L Z fi .5, 0 7? m a1 Fm??? w AW *M attorneys.

Patented Nov. 18, 1930 STATES PATENT OFFICE LOUIS L. DRIGGS, 3a., or TIPPECANOE CITY, OHIO, AND HENRY B. FABER, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

FLARE Application filed November 12, 1929. Serial No. 406,671.

Our present invention relates to improvements in projectiles used for signalling purposes, and it consists in providing a sufiiciently rigid shell to form a loading chamber, so

that this shell and its contents may be ejected at the desired range from a gun; and after travelling a predetermined distance, a secondary explosion ejects the parachute from the shell and operates the signalling devices contained in said shell, as will be hereinafter more fully described.

Our present invention is intended more especially to provide an improvement on the construction shown in our Patent No. 1,712,-

383, granted May 7, 1929, and entitled Fixed ammunition for firearms. .Our invention will be more fully understood after reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like parts are indicated by similar reference symbols throughout the several views, and in which Figure 1 shows a central axial section through the projectile, parts being shown in elevation,

Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5 illustrate respectively sections along the'lines 22, 33, 44 and 5-5 of Figure 1, and looking in the direction of the arrows,

Figure 6 is a diagram showing the gun from which the projectile is discharged, with the projectile indicated therein in dotted lines, and with the projectile ejected there- 1 from as a whole,

Figure 7 is a diagram showing the first stage of the breaking up of the projectile,

Figure 8 is a diagram showing the further disintegration of the projectile, and illustrates the flare lighted and the parachute ejected,

Figure 9 shows diagrammatically the further functioning of the parachute about to open, and

Figure 10 shows the final step in the functioning of the projectile, with the flare and parachute descending gently.

Referring first to Figures 1 to 5, A represents a cylindrical shell of metal of suflicient strength and rigidity to stand the shock of being discharged from the gun, which cylinder serves as a loading chamber or con- 'ing powder C. In the rear end of the shell A is the igniting charge F, in front of which 18 the flare composition F, and in front of this flare composition is a cap G, separating {LJhe flare chamber from the parachute cham- Extending through the flare composition is the tube H. in which the quick match I is' mounted. This quick match is secured in a plug J in rear of the expelling charge K in the forward end of the tube H. Spaced away from the cap G is the gas check L, which forms the forward wall of a chamber in which the cable M of the parachute is coiled.

One end m of this cable is secured to the shell A, and the other end m passes through the gas check L andis secured to the stays n of the parachute N. The parachute may be supported against compression when the projectile is fired by any suitable stiffening member; thus it may be stored around aspacing rod or cylinder P, which is mounted between the gas check L and the head Q, which closes the forward end of the shell A. Thus when the projectile is fired from the gun, the expelling charge in the gun ignites the fuse composition 6, and after the fuse has burnt through the desired time interval, this ignites the priming charge C, which sets fire to the igniting charge F. This priming charge C, at the same time, blows the cap D ofi', exposing the rear end of the flare and also igniting the quick match 1. After an appreciable interval, the quick match will ignite the ejecting charge K, and this willblow out the wad 9, closing the forward end of the tube H; and" the gases will blow out the gas check L and will cause the tube P to force out the head Q,

and the parachute will be ejected from the shell, as illustrated in Figures 6 to 10.

Referring to Figure 6, R, indicated in dotted lines, is the gun mounted on any suitable platform, in which gun the projectile is mounted, as indicated in dotted lines at the left of Figure 6.

After the gun has been fired, the projectile will fly forwards, as indicated to the right of Figure 6 and at the left of Figure 7. After the fuse E has ignited the priming charge, the cap D will be thrown back clear of the shell, as indicated to the rightof Figure 7, and the quick match will, at the same time, be ignited.

The shell, shown to the left of Figure 8, will now have the flare composition ignited, and after a slight time interval, which enables the quick match to act, the ejecting charge will blow the parachute out of the shell, as shown to the right of Figure 8. After the parts have assumed the position shown to the right of Figure 8, the shell will be attached to the parachute, but the shell will tend to fall more rapidly than the parachute, and the parts will assume the position shown in Figure 9. Finally, after the parachute becomes distended, it will support the flare as it falls downward, as shown in Figure 10.

While we have shown the projectile as flying forward with its axis in the same plane as it is expelled from the gun, it will be obvious that the lighter end of the shell being forward, it will tend to tumble, and if the range be sufficient, the projectile will be more apt to fly with the flare forwards, so that the parachute will be ejected rearward instead of forward, as shown in Figure 8, which will tend to lessen the strain on the parachute when opening; but with the low velocities contemplated in the use of the apparatus described, the parachute will safely open irrespective of the tumbling effect referred to.

While the shell H should be of metal of sufficient strength and rigidity, the other parts should preferably be as light as practicable, so as to secure the best efi'ects from the given size of the projectile, but obviously the size and length of the shell may be increased or diminished to suit the varying conditions required.

It will be noted that the only heavy part that will fall to the ground would be the shell A, and this would be eased downward in its flight by the parachute N, with the result that there will be no damage to persons or property from dropping the mass of metal A from the sky.

It will be obvious that various changes might be made in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts, which could be used without departing from the spirit of our invention, and we do not mean to limit the invention to such details except as particularly pointed out in the claims.

we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A projectile for signalling or illuminating purposes, comprising a cylindrical shell serving as a loading chamber, a cap closing the rear end of said shell, an igniting charge enclosed in said cap, and a time fuse mounted in said cap and projecting into said igniting charge, a transverse partition secured to the interior of said shell near the center thereof, a tube projecting rearwardly from said partition, and an ejecting charge and quick match contained in said tube, afiare composition and an igniting composition mounted in said shell and surrounding said tube, a gas check mounted in front of said partition, a plug closing the forward end of said shell, stiffening means interposed between said gas check and said plug, a parachute mounted in said shell with said stiffening means, the cable for said parachute having its one end secured to said shell and the other end secured to the parachute stays.

2. A projectile for signalling or illuminating purposes, comprising a cylindrical shell serving as a loading chamber, a cap closing the rear end of said shell, an igniting charge enclosed in said cap, and a time fuse mounted in said cap and projecting into said igniting charge, a transverse partition secured to the interior of said shell near the center thereof, a tube projecting rearwardly from said partition, and an ejecting charge and quick match contained in said tube, a flare composition and an igniting composition mounted in said shell and surrounding said tube, a cup shaped gas check mounted in front of said flanged head and forming a chamber in front of the flare, a plug closing the forward end of said shell, stiffening means projecting between said gas check and said plug, a parachute mounted in said shell with said stiffening means, the cable for said parachute being coiled inside of said gas check chamber and having its one end secured to said shell and the other end secured to the parachute stays. v

3. A projectile for signalling or illuminating purposes, comprising a cylindrical shell serving as a loading chamber, a cup shaped cap closing the rear end of said shell and provided with a spacing block, an ignit-u ing charge mounted in said spacing block,

and a time fuse mounted in said cap and projecting into said igniting charge, a

flanged head secured to the interior of said shell near the center thereof, a tube projecting rearwardly from said head, and an ejecting charge and quick match contained in said tube, a flare composition and an igniting composition mounted in said shell and surrounding said tube, a cup shaped gas check mounted in front of said flanged head and forming a chamber in front-of the flare, a plug closing the forward end of said shell, a stiffening member projecting between said gas check and said plug, a parachute mounted in said shell, the cable for said parachute being coiled inside of said gas check chamber and having its one end secured to said shell and the other end secured to the parachute stays.

5. A projectile for signalling or illuminating purposes, comprising a cylindrical shell serving as'a loading chamber, a cap closing the rear end of said shell, an igniting charge enclosed in said cap, and a time fuse mounted in said cap and projecting into said igniting charge, a transverse partition secured to the interior of said shell near the center thereof, a tube projecting rearwardly from said partition, and ari ejecting charge and quick match contained in said tube, a flare composition and an igniting composition mounted in said shell and surrounding said tube, a gas check mounted in front of said partition, a plug closing the forward end of said shell, a parachute mounted in said shellbetween said gas check and said plug, the cable for said parachute having its one end securedto said shell and the other end secured to the parachute stays.

I 6. A projectile for signalling or illuminating purposes, comprising a cylindrical shell serving as a loading chamber, a cap closing the rear end of said. shell, an igniting I charge enclosedin said cap, and a time fuse mounted in said cap and projecting into said igniting charge, a transverse partition secured to the interior of said shell near the center thereof, a tube projecting rearwardly from said partition, and an ejecting charge and quick match contained in said tube, a flare composition and an igniting composition mounted in said shell and surrounding said tube, a gas check mounted in front of said head and forming a chamber in front of the flare, a plug closing the forward end of said shell, a parachute mounted in said shell between said gas check and said plug, the cable for said parachute being coiled inside of said gas check chamber and having its one end secured-to said shell and the other end secured to the parachute stays.

7. A projectile for signalling or illuminating purposes, comprising a cylindrical shell serving as a loading chamber, a cup shaped cap closing the rear end of said shell and provided with a spacing block, an igniting charge mounted in said spacing block, and a time fuse mounted in said cap and projecting into said igniting charge, a head secured to the interior of said shell near the center thereof, a tube projecting rearwardly from said head, and an ejecting charge and quick match contained in said tube, a flare composition and an igniting composition mounted in said shell and surrounding said tube, a gas check mounted in front of said flanged head and forming a chamber in front of the flare, a plug closing the forward end of said shell, a parachute mounted in said shell in rear of said plug, the cable for said parachute being coiled in said gas check chamber and having its one end secured to said shell and the other end secured to the parachute stays.

8. A projectile for si nalling or illuminating purposes, comprising a cylindrical shell serving as a loading chamber, a cup shaped cap closing the rear end of said shell and provided with a spacing block, an igniting charge mounted in said spacing block, and a time fuse mounted in said cap and projecting into said igniting charge, a partition secured to the interior of said shell near the center thereof, a tube projecting rearwardly from said partition, and an ejecting charge and quick match contained in said tube, a flare composition and an igniting composition mounted in said shell and surrounding said tube, a gas check mounted in front of said flanged head, a plug closing the forward end of said shell, and a parachute mounted in said shell between said gas check and said plug, the cable for said parachute having its one end secured to said shell and the other end secured to the arachute stays.

' l L ms L. muses, JR.

HENRY B FABER. 

